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US 2026/0097864 A1Published application
Intermittently pressurized lunar terrain vehicle
OwnerMichael L. Gernhardtinventor
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OwnerMichael L. Gernhardtinventor
Estimating the term…
Systems and methods for operating a vehicle in an environment that requires an astronaut in the vehicle to wear a spacesuit, are presented. The vehicle may be a lunar rover or a rover to be used on Mars. An astronaut will be in a spacesuit while in the vacuum of the Moon. This vacuum or thin atmosphere will give rise to a pressure differential between the inside and the outside of the spacesuit. This pressure differential reduces the flexibility of the spacesuit, such that the joints of the spacesuit resist bending or flexing. Spacesuit stiffness is substantially reduced while an astronaut is in a pressurizable cabin of the vehicle, where the pressure differential can be reduced or eliminated. The spacesuit may provide all necessary life support while the cabin of the rover provides a cabin pressure that is substantially the same as the pressure in the spacesuit.
A method for operating a rover, the method comprising:
A vehicle operable by an occupant wearing a pressurizable suit, the vehicle comprising:
A method for operating a rover during an extravehicular activity (EVA), the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.